Why Crime Scenes Must be Cleaned by Professionals
If you come across a serious accident or violent crime on your property, it’s understandable to be startled and unsure of how to react. If the incident concerns one of your loved ones, then the encounter will likely be traumatic. An obvious action to take is to call 911 so that the necessary emergency personnel, law enforcement, and other authorities will be alerted.
However, what many people fail to realize is that law enforcement is not responsible for nor will they conduct the cleanup of the scene. It is your responsibility to have the scene cleaned up, but this crime scene cleaning shouldn’t just be done by anyone, though. Crime scene cleanup, especially if it involves biohazard materials, needs to be done by professionals for various reasons. Use the following information to learn why crime scene cleaning needs to be conducted by professional biohazard cleaners.
Health Concerns Will Be Prevented
Forensic Investigator collecting blood evidence from a crime scene
A lot of the time, crime scenes will include biohazard materials: blood, other bodily fluids, tissues, and more. Exposure to these substances is hazardous, because biohazard materials may contain bacteria and other harmful matter that cause disease and/or infection.
If an untrained, unequipped, unprotected individual tries to clean up a crime scene themselves, then that person risks becoming infected or diseased. However, trained professionals are equipped to clean scenes contaminated with biohazard materials and remove these substances in a safe manner that prevents the spread of disease and infection. Professionals use personal protective equipment (PPE) to safeguard themselves against the ill effects of biohazard materials.
Investigations Won’t Be Disrupted
If the affected area is the site of a crime, then law enforcement officials will need to frequent the space to work on the ongoing investigation. But those working to clean the site need to work in a manner that doesn’t compromise the investigation. The last thing anyone would want to do is disrupt a criminal investigation. Everyday people won’t necessarily know how to conduct cleanup methods in a way that doesn’t interfere with the investigation. If a trained professional is working on the crime scene, they will know how to cooperate with the law enforcement officials and conduct work without jeopardizing the investigation.
Cleaning Will Be Conducted Correctly
It’s understandable to think that once an area looks clean, it has been cleaned thoroughly. However, that’s not always the case, and this is especially so when conducting cleanup of biohazard materials. Even if a surface looks clean, there could still be leftover contaminants on a microscopic level. Because biohazard materials have the power to cause disease and infection to people, it’s not worth risking incomplete cleanup.
As such, if you aren’t a trained professional, the biohazard cleanup you do may not be sufficient even if it appears so. But if a professional is cleaning the scene, they will know how to thoroughly clean the scene and disinfect properly to prevent the substances from spreading disease and infection. Additionally, professionals will properly and safely dispose of the biohazard materials.
Proper Equipment Will Be Used
For proper cleaning of biohazard materials, one must use specialized tools and equipment — many of which just aren’t readily available to the general public. Personal protective equipment (PPE) protects professionals from being harmed by the biohazards. This consists of a filtered respirator, a singular-use suit, gloves, and chemical-spill boots. Professionals also use professional tools in addition to standard supplies: a chemical treatment tank, an ozone machine, biohazard waste containers, hospital-grade disinfectants, industrial-strength deodorizers, and more. This equipment helps to ensure that biohazard materials are cleaned in a safe and thorough manner.
If your property is the scene of a serious accident or violent crime, then you need to alert the proper authorities. But you also need to understand that law enforcement will not take care of the cleanup. It is your responsibility to have the scene cleaned up and have any biohazard materials present removed completely. However, it’s crucial that you do not conduct the crime scene cleaning yourself, because biohazard cleanup is unsafe to do without the proper equipment. Biohazard materials — such as blood, other bodily fluids, tissues, and more — contain bacteria and other harmful pathogens that can cause disease or infection. Knowing this, it is in your best interest to hire a professional for trauma cleaning services.
Professionals will not only have the proper equipment and products to clean up biohazards and the areas they have affected, but they will also conduct their work in a safe manner. They will prevent disease and infection from spreading and also disinfect the areas after the biohazard removal. Furthermore, professionals know that sometimes such cases involve the loss of a loved one, so they will be respectful when conducting their work. This also makes the cleanup easier, because they are not attached on an emotional level.
About Vince Sandri
Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.
